The Massage Therapy Foundation has issued a call for manuscripts for the debut of its new peer-reviewed journal, the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork: Research, Education & Practice (IJTMB). The journal's inaugural issue is set for June, with subsequent issues appearing in August, October and December. In 2009, quarterly issues are scheduled to appear in March, June, September and December.

The IJTMB explains its focus and scope as follows: "The IJTMB provides a professional forum for editorial input; scientifically-based articles of a research, educational and practice-oriented nature; readers' commentaries on journal content and related professional matters; and pertinent news and announcements."

The journal's Web site provides a wealth of information, including specific details regarding the journal's nature, scope of content coverage, author guidelines, submission procedures and contact sources. As outlined in the statement regarding scope and focus, the journal is divided into sections including editorial, research, education, practice, commentaries and news and announcements. The journal defines these sections according to the following definitions:

• "Editorials contributed by one or more members of the Editorial Board and/or invited colleagues serve to provide a context for a given issue's content and inform readers of anticipated professional themes that might guide future content."
• "The research section of the journal is open to manuscripts representing any of the several possibilities included in the complete range of quantitative, qualitative and integrative studies."
• "The education section provides a forum in which therapeutic massage and bodywork educators share their experiences, research, and resulting insights on topics including curriculum development, instructional design and delivery, instructional technology, distance learning and testing/evaluative procedures."
• "The practice section provides a venue for practitioners/clinicians to remain current regarding the diverse issues that present themselves as the science and practice of massage continues to advance and clients become more informed and demanding regarding the services they receive. Topics appropriate for this section include the planning, organization, marketing and management of a successful practice; the incorporation of new scientific findings and methods into clinical practice; new clinical approaches to prevention and treatment of specific health conditions; and ethical issues."
• "Reader input is encouraged via commentaries in the form of (a) letters to the editors regarding any aspect of the journal; (b) book reviews; and (c) reactions to specific published articles."
• "Professional matters deemed newsworthy and justifying announcements are encouraged as an additional feature of the journal. This is not a venue, however, for the advertising of services or products."

For more detailed information about the IJTMB, including detailed submission information, professional news and collaboration opportunities, conference information and articles of interest, please visit the journal's Web site at http://journals.sfu.ca/ijtmb.